


First Meeting

by omphale23



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-14
Updated: 2010-03-14
Packaged: 2017-10-08 00:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/70627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omphale23/pseuds/omphale23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was my second summer in Chicago, but my previous neighbors were nothing like the owner of the card I found taped next to my mailbox. "Ray Vecchio, Traveling."</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shoemaster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shoemaster/gifts).



> [](http://slidellra.livejournal.com/profile)[**slidellra**](http://slidellra.livejournal.com/) did her usual fabulous beta job.

I had never met anyone like him before, nor have I met anyone who matched him in the years since.

It was my second summer in Chicago, but my previous neighbors were nothing like the owner of the card I found taped next to my mailbox. "Ray Vecchio, Traveling." No further details, and it wasn't until a few weeks later that he introduced himself formally by ringing my apartment to be admitted to the building.

Perhaps I was muddle-headed from sleep (I find that five in the morning is not a time conducive to alertness) but the primary impression I have of that first meeting is one of motion. Fearing the worst, I opened my door to a blur of black leather. I narrowly avoided a punch to the jaw, and his efforts to abort the gesture resulted in our facing each other across the narrow hallway.

I'm not sure how much time passed as he took my measure. Mere moments, and yet his image is still clear in my memory. He sported a pair of blue sunglasses despite the hour, and beneath his jacket wore a fitted shirt and tailored black denim pants. A pair of scuffed boots and an aggressively styled and spiked hairstyle completed the picture of careless ease and dangerous potentiality.

He reminded me painfully of Victoria, and yet there was an openness to his expression which she never demonstrated. Would never have allowed.

Even when standing relatively still he gave the impression of movement, as if at any moment he might begin to shadowbox or dance. Even so, his hand was steady as he offered it to me with a hesitant greeting. "Sorry about that. Lost my key, or left it upstairs or something. I'm Ray."

I cleared my throat before replying. "Benton Fraser." He seemed to be waiting for more of an explanation. "I'm currently writing a book."

Ray squinted. "Oh yeah? About what?"

My answer had become rote in the six months since Victoria's departure. "I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my father, and for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, I've recently been retired from my position with the RCMP. I've recently begun writing an analysis of their cooperative international policing efforts."

At that, he nodded. "Okay if I call you Steve?"

"But that isn't my name."

"I know. I know that." He bounced on his toes and leaned into my personal space. "But my brother's name is Steve. And you remind me of him. All polished and proper."

I've since learned that this is not, as I assumed, an uncommon but well-known American custom. Yet another way in which Ray refused to conform to my expectations. "I suppose that would be acceptable, then."

"Great. Greatness." As if he had suddenly realized the impropriety of our conversation, with me in my union suit and the dim predawn light beginning to drift through the window above the stairs, Ray rocked back on his heels and ducked his head. "So, um, I'll be going then. Sorry about that, but you know how it is. Left my wallet in the car, so I couldn't slip the lock."

I was disturbed by the knowledge that our building was so easy to enter without the proper equipment, but had no time to reply before Ray once again thrust his hand into the space between us. I took it without thinking, and he pulled me in for a brief and unexpected hug before pointing at my chest and winking. "I'll see you around."

With that, he disappeared up the stairs.


End file.
